Steering mechanism for vehicles.



No. 702.980 Patented June 24, I902.

H. P. MAXIM.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES.

(Application filed Oct. 20,- 1899.)

(No Model.)

fl ttwt Inventor 4 7 WM @Z Z/KW W RS co PHoTuu-mo WASMINGTON u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Ill RAM PERCY MAXIM, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MORTON TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE, A CORPORA- TION OF NEYV YORK.

STEERING MECHANlSM FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,980, dated June 24, 1902.

Application filed October 20,1899. Serial No. 784,153. (No model.)

O Ml 1071107711 it m y being shown in section. Fig. 0 is a detail Be itknown that I, I-IIRAM PERCY MAXIM, a section on the plane indicated by the line 3 3 citizen of the United States, residing in Hartof Fig. 2, with parts in elevation. 1'ord,county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, In the embodiment of the invention repre- 5 have invonted certain new and useful Imsented in the drawings the steering wheel or provements in SteeringMechanism for Motorhandle A is mounted upon a shaft B, which Vehicles, 850., of which the following is a carries at its lower end a skew-gear C. The specification, reference being had to the aclatter meshes with acorresponding gear D on companying drawings, forming a part hereof. a short transverse shaft D, which is mounted to This invention relates particularly to that in suitable bearings on the body of the vepart of the steering mechanism of motor-vehicle and substantially in the plane of the hicles, &c., which is carried by the body of footboard and has an arm (1, connected bya the vehicle and is directly manipulated by link E to the devices by which movement is the driver or operator. It is necessary that transmitted to the steering-wheels. The pre- 25 the steering post or pillar, which rises from cise form of the gearing and of the transmisthe floor of the vehicle-body, shall be placed sion devices to the steering-wheels is immawithin easy reach of the driver, and it is also terial so far as the present invention is condesirable that it shall be capable of movecerned, and any usual or suitable arrange ment toward or away from the vehicle-seat, ment thereof may be employed. The shaft 20 both for the convenience of the driver and to B has its bearing in a bracket F, which is facilitate the movement of persons into and swiveled upon the shaft D or upon bearings from the vehicle. At the same time the opconcentric therewith, forming a bearing and erative relation of the steering post or pillar brace for said shaft, so that the movement of to the other parts of the steering mechanism said bracket shall be concentric with the gear 25 should not be affected by the movements of D, whereby the gear C remains always in the steering post or pillar, and the leverage mesh with the gear D and operative connecof the steering wheel or handle should remain tion between the steering post or pillar and always the same. the other parts of the steering mechanism is It is the object of this invention to meet all always maintained whether the post or pillar 30 of these requirements andin addition thereto be swung back toward the seat of the vehicle, provide means whereby the steering post or as shown in full lines in-Fig. l, or swung away pillar, together with the bracket which forms from the same, as shown in dotted lines, and a support or brace therefor, may be swung in all positions the leverage of the steering or rotated out of the way of the occupants of wheel or. handle remains the same. The

35 the vehicle when desired, and to that end the bracket F is arranged to be engaged by a steering post or pillar is not only rotatable latchfto retain the steering post or pillar in about its own axis to control the steeringthe most convenient position for operation, wheels, but is arranged to rotate or swing such latch being formed and disposed as may upon a transverse axis. be most convenient.

40 The invention is more fully described here- The invention, as will be readily underinafter with reference to the accompanying stood, is capable of embodiment in other drawings, in which, for purposes of explanaforms, as'the character of the vehicle or other tion, it is represented as embodied in a conconsiderations may determine, and is not to venient and practical form. be limited to the precise construction and 5 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevaarrangement shown and described herein. 5

tion of the steering mechanism, the body of I claim as my inventionthe vehicle and the wheels being indicated 1. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a plan view, on a steering-pillar rotatable abontits axis, aboarlarger scale, of a portion of the mechanism ing for said pillar pivoted upon the vehicle,

50 shown in Fig. 1, the steering post or pillar an arm operativcly connected with tho stecr- Ioo ing mechanism and pivot-ally mounted upon the vehicle, a gear fixed to said. steering-pillar and a gear fixed to said arm to cooperate with the first-named gear, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a steering-pillar rotatable about its axis, a bearing for said pillar pivoted upon the vehicle, an arm operatively connected with the steering mechanism and pivotally mounted upon the vehicle, a gear fixed to said steering-pillar, and a gear fixed to said arm concentric with the pivot of the arm and the pivot of said bearing to cooperate with the first-named gear, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a steering-pillar rotatable about its axis, a bearing for said pillar pivoted upon the vehicle, an arm operatively connected with the steering mechanism and pivotally mounted upon the vehicle, and cooperating members upon said pillar and said arm respectively, whereby the rotation of the pillar eifects movement of the arm in any position of the pillar about the axis of its bearing, substantially as shown and described.

pillar rotatable about its axis to steer the vehicle, a gear carried by said post or pillar, a

second gear supported by the floor of the vehicle and'operatively connected with the steering mechanism and in mesh with the firstnamed gear, and a support for the steering post or pillar mounted to swing about the axis of thelast-named gear, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of a steering post or pillar rotatable about its axis to steer the Vehicle, a gear carried by said post or pillar, a second gear supported by the floor of the vehicle in mesh with the first-named gear and operatively connected with the steering mechanism, a support for the steering post or pillar mounted to swing about the axis of the last-named gear, and a latch to engagesaid support,substantiallyas shown anddescribed.

This specification signed and witnessed this 17th day of October, A. D. 1899.

I-IIRAM PERCY MAXIM.

In presence of- MAUD L. CLARK, HERMANN F. OUNTZ. 

